A Life Beyond Undergrad
December 17, 2021
As the end of senior year gets closer, so does the question "what do you want to do after graduation?" Some people know they want to want to go to graduate school and others know they want to look for a job, but what about those people that are not sure about what they want to do or are not sure they are ready to move on? A life beyond undergrad is scary when you have to become a "real" adult. Here are some things I did to figure out what my plan was and how I am going to make it happen.
My Current Plans
Before the start of my senior year fall semester, I had plans to apply for a genetic counseling program in the fall. My plans changed after hearing a talk from a genetic counselor explain the daily functions and tasks of a genetic counselor, and walk us through a case they worked. I realized the role was much more patient facing than I had anticipated. I would not mind patient interaction however, I would not want it to be the sole basis of my position. These factors led me to hold off on applying to graduate schools and to start looking for jobs, assistantships, or pre-graduate programs that can give me relevant field experience. I plan to apply for graduate programs in genetics after my one to two gap year and may even pursue a PhD in human genetics. Some people may see this as a setback, but I see it as an opportunity to become a more competitive graduate school applicant by gaining experience in the genetic field. This also gives me an opportunity to explore programs to find what I really want to do. I would much rather wait to apply for graduate school than go for two years and end up not enjoying the program or career.
Making it a Reality
Over the upcoming winter break, I plan to search for jobs, assistantships, internships, and programs in the field of genetics. I am going to make use of my school's career resource center to give me tips on job searching, go through mock interviews, and review my curriculum vitae. Just like applying for graduate school, you want to make yourself a competitive candidate, and I plan to do the same when applying for jobs. I also plan to talk with my mentor on how to make myself a competitive applicant and to review applications and application materials before applying. By having someone in my desired field guide me through the application process will help me understand what is important in the scientific community and what employers look for in a potential employee.
"The future depends on what you do today"
-Gandhi
